Broken
by AnnaMayLover
Summary: A hero,a princess,a conqueror; courage,wisdom,power.An unbreakable cycle.A game for the goddesses.Or at least that's what everyone was taught;what they believed.Someone is no longer going to play by the rules... Please review! Even flames are welcome!
1. Chapter 1

"You fool. You stupid, stupid fool. Why did you do it?" I asked the body in front of me. It didn't respond to my whispers, of course, since it was dead. The last remnants of life had left its eyes only moments before. I struggled to choke back my tears as I closed the eyelids on my dear departed friend. "Didn't you know what the consequences would be? Was it really so terrible that you would leave us all behind? Leave me?" No. He had known that he would die. That was why he had done it.

He had always rather jokingly told me that he couldn't understand what everyone was still doing in our present situation. "There's a whole land, filled with everything you've wanted and can dream of. All ya gotta do to get there is give up this life," he'd say with that almost always present grin on his face. "Hahaha, which isn't a fair trade in my eyes. Who'd want _this_?" Who could have predicted that he would actually take his own advice. I'd always thought our friendship was stronger than that. We'd known each other for years; grown up together. We were even street rats together back in the day. Then there was his family. At least he_ had _a family.

It was getting cold. I looked down and realized with a shock that part of the reason my hands were cold was that I was holding his. One of the guards that patrolled the streets at night was bound to show up before too long. If I was caught out after hours, with a corpse, when I had missed my evening duties, then the queen would have me pretty severely punished. "Goodbye, Carrick. Explore every part of it, Rick, so when I meet you in the Sacred Realm, you can give me a tour," I told my best and only friend. Strange; in all the time I'd known him, I had never said his entire first name. My hands dropped his as I slowly rose. It was time to go. My eyes lingered on his white face, once so full of laughter, before I turned around and headed toward the end of the alley.

It was dark by the time I reached the servants' quarters near the castle stables. I lingered outside the door for a few moments, going over the scene in my head so I could answer the questions that were waiting in the near future. Steeling myself, I walked through the door.

"Ah, Neala. There you are. It's pretty late. I was beginning to wonder if something had happened to you and Rick," the slightly plump woman said as she recognized my sigh. Her red hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Pieces of hair had come loose, no doubt from her work by the oven, giving her ponytail a slightly messy appearance. She finished kneading a ball of dough and began to turn around. "You'll be wanting something to eat, I suppose..." Her hands abruptly stopped wiping themselves on her apron. "Where's Rick?" she asked in a quiet, even voice.

"He's...gone," I answered just as evenly, having found the appropriate word.

"I see." Her tone gave away no hint of sorrow or caring. It only revealed that she understood my meaning. She had turned away and so left me no clue as to what she might be thinking. Reina rummaged around and tossed me a roll. "How?"

"Pick pocketed a rival captain of his 'master's'. The guy had friends of course. They got him out of the market crowd and into an alley..." I shrugged, not needing to explain further. She didn't ask why it had happened. Anyone in our miserable race new that death would probably be better than serving someone as cruel as Rick's master. All Hylians were considered scum, but the soldier Rick had been serving was exceptionally bad. "You'll take care of his siblings, right? I can't stay here now that I've skipped all my chores..." I let my voice trail off and finished the roll.

"Of course. What do you want me to tell the little'uns?"

"Rick got moved to a better territory. They won't be seeing him for many, many years." Reina's question was expected. The answer had been sitting in my mouth before she asked.

"Alright, but I askin' about you." I snapped my gaze from the floor to her face. The previous question might have been anticipated, but this one was certainly not. I'm sure the shock was apparent on my face.

I composed my features and ,instead of answering, walked purposefully across the room from the door where I'd been standing to and ducked beneath the dirty, tattered curtain that separated the kitchen and bedroom. I let my eyes adjust to the dark for a few moments. It didn't take long. A single candle was lighting was lighting the kitchen so my eyes were already accustomed to minimal light. I moved carefully and quietly so as not to wake Rick's younger sister's and brother. My feet silently picked a path among the blankets and huddled bodies, leading me to a back corner. I stooped to gather my few belongings in my arms. My body froze and I held my breath as I heard a rustling. Someone whimpered. It stopped after a few heartbeats however. Whoever it was must have fallen back to sleep.

I emerged from behind the curtain and littered the table with my belongings. Looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't visible through the window, I took off my servants' clothes and dressed in something entirely different. It was colored black and purple, consisting of a close-fitting body suit and a loose tunic. I folded my former apparel tightly, placing it on a blanket. The outfit was elaborate for servant attire. The queen wanted us to be better than any other kingdom's servants, just like everything else she had influence over. She was such a stupid woman, the queen. Stupid and selfish. Beneath all her jewels and riches she was nothing but corrupt. Like an apple whose core was infested with worms, she too looked appealing at first, hiding beneath her shiny skin. Anyone with a heart could see through her facade. None of her people had hearts though. Not that they let us see anyway. They were cruel to us. We were little more than beasts to them. The trash that littered this golden land. Why? Because we were Hylian. When they, the outsiders, came to this land we were unprepared. All the different groups- Gorons, Zoras, Gerudo, and we fought amongst ourselves. We had been fighting wars over petty problems for so long we simply couldn't defend ourselves in a real war. And now just look at us. I glared bitterly at the bundle that was my only other set of clothing.

A barely noticeable weight on my shoulder cut my thoughts short. "Tell them... I am going to live a bed-time story." I reached out and grabbed a knife, using it to cut long strips from some pieces of cloth. I then wrapped them around my stomach, arms, and lower face so my head was only visible from the eyes up. I sheathed the knife in the wrappings around my tunic to conceal it. A few loaves of bread were placed on the table to my right. I placed them on the blanket along with all but a few strips of cloth. I folded the blanket with everything else inside of it and tied it together with the strips of cloth. I used the remaining ones to tie the bundle to my back. I turned around, satisfied with my preparations, and stopped half way to the door, in front of Reina. "I may never return to Hyrule Castle town. Make certain the children understand that. You have been generous. I thank you for that, but the time has come for me to find my own way in this cursed land." I stretched my arm out to put it on her shoulder. She let me. We had never showed so much affection before and yet her eyes still kept secret all of her emotions and thoughts. I began to withdraw my touch. It was awkward since she obviously wasn't returning the gesture.

"Neala." My arm stopped just a short distance from where it had been only a moment before as the sharp sound of my name broke the uncomfortable silence that sat between us. I began to look into her eyes again but my attention was immediately redirected as she moved her body, trapping my left wrist (the one that had been on her shoulder) between her torso an upper arm. "Wha-" I tried to form an objection but didn't get to finish as she shot her other arm toward mine and yanked me closer. Her hand shoved my right wrist into her right hand. We now stood facing each other- my body at an angle to hers with my left side closest to her. I saw a glimmer of amusement in her eyes- the first thing they had ever revealed to me and it wasn't pleasant. It was the look of a predator when it knows that its prey is entirely at its mercy. Reina moved her left arm toward my face. Had I not still been under the influence of the shocking knowledge that I had been disabled by a quiet, middle-aged woman I might have jerked away. But as it was, I did not even realize what she had done until it was too late. I was powerless to stop her although my mind screamed at me to stop her. I simply stared at the eyes I had once thought caring with horror as Reina pulled the hair from out of my face and revealed my eye. My right eye. The one that was blood red. The eye that marked me as the absolute lowest of all the people in Hyrule. Bad to be a Hylian- even worse, to be a Sheikah. We were hated and feared. The Hylians themselves had rarely trusted us even in the times of utmost peace. The warriors of shadow and death. The greatest of all outcasts. I had learned that lesson at a very early age.

My red eye blinked several times. It hadn't seen anything in years. My hair had always kept my secret safely hidden. Until now, that is. Within seconds though, it was working in sync with my bright blue one. How the goddesses had she known? I had been so careful. There was no way I let any clues leak out. She must have found out some other way. _It doesn't matter now, does it?_ I asked myself grimly. _My secret is out._ I gazed at the face of my tormentor. A tiny smile of achievement was on her mouth. It was so smug, it was almost a sneer. _Hah. I was right._ It told me.

Momentarily her expression softened. She was not the calloused worker I had known. She was a sorrowful, caring mother. Just as quickly that woman was buried away again. This life didn't allow people like that. Reina had done well to hide that part of herself. "You will succeed in your quest, Neala. I believe you have some 'special abilities' that will help you achieve your goals and reach your destination." Her voice was calm, an underlying tone saying the "special abilities" were my inherited Sheikah skills. A knowing smile tugged the corners of her mouth up just a little. She sighed and let go of me, although I could have easily broken free. Her hand lingered at my face a moment longer. Then it moved, allowing my eye to be buried beneath honey-colored locks once again.

Our gazes held each other for a time that seemed to not be a part of time at all. A silent understanding passed between us in that period. Lips parted. "Goodbye," my voice whispered, barely audible. A portion of a second came and went during which the only sound was the breath that stirred the air between our faces. I broke the contact by making my way around Reina and stepping into the chill night.


	2. Chapter 2

The night air was cold, refreshing, and helped to clear my mind and sharpen my senses. I slipped out of the servants' quarters with out incident. It was late and everyone who wasn't working was asleep so there was no one to discover I had gone. Yet. Not even my jogging alerted my presence for my footsteps made no noise- a "special ability" I must have aquired from my Sheikah ancestry.

The movement of foot-against-ground brought me to the castle moat. I gauged the distance across while taking a few steps backward. I ran and jumped. The air blew around my body as it cleared the gap between the paved stones on either side of the rushing water. Rolling to soften the fall and muffle any noise, I landed with little space to spare on the other side. Perfect.

There were two guards keeping watch at the gate as expected so I climbed some vines that grew up the ancient Hylian wall. Using my elevation to check the position of the other soldiers that stood watch around the pathway that led to the gate, I planned the best way around them. At this point, it was better to avoid bloodshed. Plus, the odds of getting away from a fight against ten or so opponents weren't in my favor. I had strong physical abilities but I wasn't very practiced.

I leaped and rolled. I kept myself unkown while I followed the path I had committed to memory. It could be useful in the future. Through the small, grassy meadow on top of the hill, onto the road about halfway down, and toward the boulders on the other side of the road. I ducked behind the boulder closest to me and checked my surroundings to make sure I hadn't been spotted. If caught, I wouldn't be the first person executed for trying to run away. None of the guards had moved at all. They still kept watch for an unseen enemy- one that probably wouldn't ever come. I crouched and turned on the balls of my feet to look at my destination. The hole was almost entirely hidden- just the way I'd left it. Brambles and vines covered the opening except for a small hole about the size of an apple. My hand easily slipped into the opening and I moved my arm in up to the elbow. "Ah!" My breathy exclamation preceded my hand pressing at a board which I caught with my exposed hand to keep it from creating any noise. The brambles and vines were very real, but were growing on a board I had placed in front of the hole years before. From the outside, even up close, it was impossible to tell that there was anything except for the small hole which had now expanded to a size large enough for a male adult to crawl through. I did just that, pulling the board back into place behind me.

It was dark inside. The air was cold but not stale or damp like one would expect it to be. Feeling around with my hands, I located a stick. I fumbled around in my pack until I found the flint and steel I had been searching for. It took me a while to light the stick. My hands were reluctant to move when I wanted them to and were stiff from the cold. I resisted the urge to warm them using the fire from the stick; it would burn up quickly and there wasn't another one. There are four torches in here somewhere... One! Light iluminated one section of the area. Two! The entrance tunnel became slightly visible. Three! I could make out the bricks on the floor. Four! A rather broken set of stairs, what looked to have at one point been a pool, a stone floor, dark walls, and the tunnel I entered were all visible to my eyes. Or really one eye: the right one was covered up. Sighing, I blew out the smoldering stick I held in one hand and set to work tugging at the straps that held my pack to my torso. It was fairly difficult because of the numbness that had made its way into my hands. i knew from previous experience that the chamber would warm up quickly though, now that the torches were lit. I had been here many times before. It was amazing really, this strange place that was made before my time. No one else had ever found it. The castle guards were oblivious to its existance. I hadn't even told Rick about the chamber I was now in. It was my secret get-away; the place I always went when I was sad or hurt. But this time the hurt and sadness were far greater than they had been in the past. I placed the pack on the ground beneath one of the torches and sat next to it. With my knees pressed to my chest, my arms encircled tightly around them, and my face resting on them, I began to cry.

I could never show weakness in front of others. Ever. That was what life called for in this land of Hyrule. This cruel land, filled with sorrows that never seemed to end. No, showing any emotion at all in front of other people just ate away at what little hope my oppressed people had left. But here, now, when I was all alone with only my thoughts and grief for company, I could let my feelings show. Silent tears slid from the corners of both my eyes and made a damp spot on my sleeves. That's what Hyrule was. A salty puddle made from the tears of all the victims its so called greatness has claimed throughout the ages. Hah! I tasted salt as a bitter, barking laugh escaped my swollen throat. Hyrule: some great land this is! The golden land touched by the gods. My chest shook slightly as more of the dark noise broke free from my body. Touched by the gods! I couldn't help but laugh at that one. Where are you now, oh goddesses, when you are needed the most? Are we still your precious creations or have you become bored with us and left us to die? Are we only a pawn to be played with and then sacrificed in your great game? Heh. The great game: fate. It always so far ahead of our puny, mortal lives; an inescapable demon. No, there was no escaping fate. There was no breaking the cycle either. The cycle of greatness, pride, evil, ruin, help, recovery, and greatness again. The cycle that bound a hero, a princess, and a conqueror. That was what everyone believed anyway. We had all been taught that in our bedtime stories and through the mouths of our elders. A bunch of useless stories about courage, wisdom, and power and a hero that saved the land every time something went wrong. A hero with the triforce of courage...

I lifted my head up and frowned. The gap between my eyebrows narrowed as I did a bit of introspection. Something was wrong. I could feel something deep inside of me, coursing through my veins, making its way into every bit of my being, and giving me strength. It was wam, but not hot. It wasn't at all like fire. It was something else. It felt like... life itself. The very essence of all things green and lush and whatever it was felt powerful. My tears were gone, as was the spot on my sleeve as I discovered when I looked at the wrappings on my arm. I slowly untied the cloth and let it fall to the ground beneath my hand which was held out in front of me. There, on the back of my left hand, glowed a golden triangle tha made up part of a larger one with the help of two more triangles. My final secret...Heh. Not even Reina knew about this one. I had kept this triangle more safely hidden than my Sheikah eye. Of course, it had never glowed like this before. I thought back to the many times that Rick had repeated all of the Hylian legends. What he would have given to know that his best friend had the triforce of courage... and now he was gone. I clenched my jaw with a snap to prevent any more tears to spring from behind my eyes. I could see him smiling, innocent and kind like few people I'd met had ever been. My jaw clenched even tighter. He was still there, looking at me with those sad, brown eyes of his as I saw him die again. What did he die for? Nothing? The only people you would remember him would be his siblings, myself, and _maybe _Reina. His name was just added to the long list of casualties that kept draining any hope this land had of being free. How many more would die before all the hope was gone? Then I realized the truth.

I knew what I had to do. What someone should have done a long time ago. This land has gone for too long without a hero to bring hope. I could feel it, stronger than ever like a living thing pulsing through my body, mind, and soul. The bright, gold-green feeling that warmed me and brought new energy to my movements: the courage from the triforce. Yes. It was time for a new age. One where the land of Hyrule was not ruled by outsiders. No more would people be slaughtered the way Carrick was. I would stop it once and for all. Any life I could save would bring power to the tribes of Hyrule and when they had enough energy back, we could throw off our enemies. The darkness would finally be lifted. Ha! A hero I might be, but not the kind that is enslaved by the goddesses. Yes, I am going to live a bedtime story...

With my decision made, I stood up. My eye still stared with wonder at the glowing triangle as it got brighter by the second. The fires in the corners of the room weren't needed anymore. The light shone like nothing I had ever seen, seeming to pulse and hum, until I had to shield my eyes with my other arm. Then it stopped. It was still brighter than it should have been with only the four torches. I looked up, wondering if my eye had been effected by the brilliance of the triforce, and gasped.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, I am SO sorry that this update took so long. Hopefully no one died while waiting ; ) I hope everyone who celebrates things this time of year had a good time, and if you don't then I hope you had a good week anyway! : ) As a warnig, I haven't really edited this chapter, so if there are any major mistakes please let me know. Also, please take note that I WILL BE SWITCHING POINT OF VIEWS. Whenever you see the * * * that means the pov will be different. Enjoy! **

Broken: Chapter 3

Something _had_ to be wrong with my eye. It was unnatural, unreal, unbelievable, but most of all it _was_. I stared with wide eyes at the wonder around me. My sense told me it was impossible, but my senses were telling me that it was definately tangible. It was beautiful too. All around me the walls glittered with a myriad of glowing color. As my gaze moved from one side of the wall to the other, the colors changed from a shimmering white-blue to a stunning violet. Yet beneath the lights was a darkness that seemed to not be solid, but simply devoid of light. I let my curiosity gain control of my limbs and touched the wall. It still felt like normal stone. Nothing unusual about the rough, uneven surface presented itself to my probing touch. That only left one explanation: magic. My head swiveled to the would be fountain. It, too, sparkled with a surreal beauty. The fountain... I wonder... Stooping, I plucked my canteen from the pack. _Hopefully I won't be thirsty later_, I thought absently as I slowly poured the contents of the bottle into the fountain. I watched as the precious drops splattered on the dirtied white tile. It cascaded down, down, for what seemed like an unbelievable distance because of how small the waterfall was. Then the drops were flung every where and broken into even smaller groups. _Like us. Scattered everywhere in such small groups it's hard to make contact with anyone from the other groups. Entirely useless alone._ But then, more droplets joined the ones on the ground and leaked ever so slowly into the mortor filled cracks between tiles, making tiny streams and spreading throughout the area with deliberate and inescapable progress. As the puddle spread symmetrically, the last drop hit the diminishing puddle and exploded in light.

"Ah!" My tiny exclamation was nearly drowned out by a gentle humming and then bell-like laughter. My feet took a step back to what my conciousness hoped was a minorly safer location. My bangs slid back as I lifted my face to meet the gaze of a dazzling woman with wild red hair flying behind her as she perched on thin air. Vines crept up her limbs, coiled through her flaming mane, and entwined around her torso. I was too shocked to speak.

"I am one of the Great Fairies. It has been a long time since I last saw a mortal, Hero. Now where will you go? What is the next stop on your way to destiny?" Her voice was light and joyous but was encased in power. She seemed pleasant enough, but I would have to choose my words with care. She could do any number of things to me with ease.

"You say I am a hero, but are mistaken. I am an avenger." I forced my voice to remain as authoritive and calm as possible. I felt I succeeded.

"Be it as it may. For filling my fountain, I will give you some advice: Kakariko was once a city with more knowledge than all others in the land the Hylians ruled. Now, let me comfort your weariness." An amber glow surrounded me as the faery did what appeared to be blowing a kiss. "Come back and see me when you grow weary," she laughed as she twirled around in a giddy way and disappeared. Feeling entirely renewed, I gathered my things, tried to gather my thoughts, and left.

*** * ***

The fairy gazed at the girl as she exited the cavern. How very amusing that had been. A girl this time around...a rather unusual move by those dieties. _She would be beautiful if she were not so very cold. Not as lovely as me of course_, the great fairy mused. She laughed and turned away. There was no point spying through the glittering wall if there was no one to look at. Again, she laughed. _Thinking she is so very smart, that girl. She didn't tell me what her plans were, or where she was going, but she needn't have anyway. It was all in her eyes. I do hope she finds my little hint useful. Ha ha ha!_

**A/N: Well, what did you think? I would love a review. Only two people are reviewing? Come on! I would gladly accept flames too! Let me know what you think of the pov changing. I'm doing it because there are some places where I can't fully express what Neala is feeling and thinking without being in 1st person, and other times when I need to place some other events in here. Hopefully it isn't too confusing. You are welcome to tell me what you think might happen later on in the story, or an event you want to be put in the story. I can't guarantee that I'll use your ideas, but you may just influence it! Please leave me some feedback, and I promise I will be better about updating! If I don't post again before January 1st, Happy New Years! --- AnnaMayLover **


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